Because of the long, slender nature of the ordinary ladder, it is often difficult to store when not in use. Various attempts have been made to provide a ladder which will fold up in some manner into a compact unit which can be stored easily. In many of these structures, all or some of the steps are detachable from the side rails to permit the particular folding action. The resulting loose pieces are often subject to loss while being stored.
Other previous folding ladders have proposed forming the ladder in numerous sections hinged together so they can be folded up something like the bellows of an accordion. While the accordion-folding construction is an improvement over other folding ladders, the design still leaves much to be desired, particularly in connection with modern light metal alloy ladders made of aluminum alloys and the like.
A need exists for a folding ladder that can be folded up into a compact unit for storage.
The present embodiments meet these needs.
The present embodiments are detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.